Mobile app for design management framework

ABSTRACT

Software allows images captured during product development on a mobile device (e.g., smartphone or other client device) to be uploaded to a design management system from the mobile device. Mark-up annotations and comments can be added to the images at the mobile device. Assignment of tasks related to the images can be made from the mobile device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/481,760, filed May 25, 2012, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,567,936on Feb. 18, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application61/490,047, filed May 25, 2011. These applications are incorporated byreference along with all references cited in this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to software and more specifically to designmanagement management software.

Consumer continually, demand new and improved products. To meet thisdemand, design development occurs at a rapid pace. Design management andproduct lifecycle management (PLM) software assists in the conception,design, realization, and servicing of products. A feature of software isimages can be uploaded to a design management system from the desktopcomputer, after they have been transferred to the desktop computer froma camera.

Despite the success of design management software, improvements arestill needed. With typical software, a shortcoming of the process isthat the photos and images are typically taken while a user is away fromtheir desk. For example, when a product prototype is received for reviewfrom a supplier, product developers will get up from their desk and walkover to the location of the prototype to review the prototype. As issuesare discovered or as changes are requested, images will be captured witha camera to document the discussions.

To share the images with other product developers, a user will return totheir desk, plug in their camera, and transfer (e.g., upload) the imagesto a design management system. After the images are uploaded, the userwill then type in a description of the change as notes that areassociated with the images. Also, a user can assign responsibility toanother user to follow up on the change request by attaching the imageto an email together with a description of the task. Also, if the userwould like to draw a mark-up annotation on the image, the image must beopened in a mark-up application and saved back to the desktop before theimage is uploaded.

Therefore, there is a need for software facilitating improvedproductivity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Software allows images captured during product development on a mobiledevice (e.g., smartphone or other client device) to be uploaded to adesign management system from the mobile device. Mark-up annotations andcomments can be added to the images at the mobile device. Assignment oftasks related to the images can be made from the mobile device.

Features include: Images can be uploaded directly to a design managementsystem from the mobile device as they are taken at the location thediscussion is taking place. Uploaded images can be attached to productsthat are managed in a design management system. Mark up annotations andcomments can be added to the images directly from the mobile device.Responsibility for completing a task associated with the image can beassigned directly from the mobile device. Previously uploaded images andassociated notes can be accessed from the mobile device. Previouslyassigned tasks can be accessed from the mobile device.

Embodiments of the invention contribute to enhanced productivity.

In an implementation, a method includes providing a design managementsystem, where the design management system is accessible via theInternet; providing a mobile application for a smartphone having acamera and wireless connectivity to the Internet, where a user of themobile application can remotely access the design management frameworksystem; using the mobile application executing on the smartphone,allowing a first user of the design management system to take picture;allowing a first user to make an annotation to the picture; andsynchronizing the mobile application with the design management systemcomprising uploading the picture with annotation to the designmanagement system.

In another implementation, a method includes allowing a mobileapplication, executing on at least one processor of a mobile deviceincluding a camera, access a server of a design management system via awireless network, where the design management system includes productspecification, tasks, review for at least a first product; using themobile application, allowing a first user to create a task and assigningto a second user; using the mobile application, selecting a picture toassociate with the task; and automatically synchronizing the mobileapplication with the design management system including uploading thetask to the design management system.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent upon consideration of the following detailed descriptionand the accompanying drawings, in which like reference designationsrepresent like features throughout the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a design management systemimplemented in a distributed computing network connecting a server andclients.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed diagram of an exemplary client of thesystem.

FIG. 3 shows a system block diagram of a client computer system used toexecute an application program.

FIG. 4 shows a system diagram of an implementation of a designmanagement system with mobile clients.

FIG. 5 shows further details of a system of an implementation of adesign management system.

FIGS. 6-13 show screens from an application for a mobile device.

FIGS. 14-16 show screens from an application for a desktop or laptopclient.

FIGS. 17-23 shows unified modeling language (UML) diagrams for animplementation of a design management system with mobile clients.

FIGS. 24-25 shows wire frame diagrams for mobile application screens.

FIG. 26 shows a screen for a specifications table for a desktop orlaptop client.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a distributed computer network100 incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. Computernetwork 100 includes a number of client systems 113, 116, and 119, and aserver system 122 coupled to a communication network 124 via a pluralityof communication links 128. Communication network 124 provides amechanism for allowing the various components of distributed network 100to communicate and exchange information with each other.

Communication network 124 may itself be comprised of many interconnectedcomputer systems and communication links. Communication links 128 may behardwire links, optical links, satellite or other wirelesscommunications links, wave propagation links, or any other mechanismsfor communication of information. Various communication protocols may beused to facilitate communication between the various systems shown inFIG. 1. These communication protocols may include TCP/IP, HTTPprotocols, wireless application protocol (WAP), vendor-specificprotocols, customized protocols, and others. While in one embodiment,communication network 124 is the Internet, in other embodiments,communication network 124 may be any suitable communication networkincluding a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), awireless network, a intranet, a private network, a public network, aswitched network, and combinations of these, and the like.

Distributed computer network 100 in FIG. 1 is merely illustrative of anembodiment incorporating the present invention and does not limit thescope of the invention as recited in the claims. One of ordinary skillin the art would recognize other variations, modifications, andalternatives. For example, more than one server system 122 may beconnected to communication network 124. As another example, a number ofclient systems 113, 116, and 119 may be coupled to communication network124 via an access provider (not shown) or via some other server system.

Client systems 113, 116, and 119 typically request information from aserver system which provides the information. For this reason, serversystems typically have more computing and storage capacity than clientsystems. However, a particular computer system may act as both as aclient or a server depending on whether the computer system isrequesting or providing information. Additionally, although aspects ofthe invention has been described using a client-server environment, itshould be apparent that the invention may also be embodied in astandalone computer system.

Server 122 is responsible for receiving information requests from clientsystems 113, 116, and 119, performing processing required to satisfy therequests, and for forwarding the results corresponding to the requestsback to the requesting client system. The processing required to satisfythe request may be performed by server system 122 or may alternativelybe delegated to other servers connected to communication network 124.

According to the teachings of the present invention, client systems 113,116, and 119 enable users to access and query information stored byserver system 122. In a specific embodiment, a “web browser” applicationexecuting on a client system enables users to select, access, retrieve,or query information stored by server system 122. Examples of webbrowsers include the Internet Explorer browser program provided byMicrosoft Corporation, and the Firefox browser provided by Mozilla, andothers.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary client system of the present invention. In anembodiment, a user interfaces with the system through a computerworkstation system, such as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a computersystem 201 that includes a monitor 203, screen 205, enclosure 207 (mayalso be referred to as a system unit, cabinet, or case), keyboard orother human input device 209, and mouse or other pointing device 211.Mouse 211 may have one or more buttons such as mouse buttons 213.

Enclosure 207 houses familiar computer components, some of which are notshown, such as a processor, memory, mass storage devices 217, and thelike. Mass storage devices 217 may include mass disk drives, floppydisks, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, fixeddisks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, recordable CDs, DVDs, recordable DVDs (e.g.,DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, HD-DVD, or Blu-ray Disc), flash and othernonvolatile solid-state storage (e.g., USB flash drive),battery-backed-up volatile memory, tape storage, reader, and othersimilar media, and combinations of these.

A computer-implemented or computer-executable version or computerprogram product of the invention may be embodied using, stored on, orassociated with computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium mayinclude any medium that participates in providing instructions to one ormore processors for execution. Such a medium may take many formsincluding, but not limited to, nonvolatile, volatile, and transmissionmedia. Nonvolatile media includes, for example, flash memory, or opticalor magnetic disks. Volatile media includes static or dynamic memory,such as cache memory or RAM. Transmission media includes coaxial cables,copper wire, fiber optic lines, and wires arranged in a bus.Transmission media can also take the form of electromagnetic, radiofrequency, acoustic, or light waves, such as those generated duringradio wave and infrared data communications.

For example, a binary, machine-executable version, of the software ofthe present invention may be stored or reside in RAM or cache memory, oron mass storage device 217. The source code of the software of thepresent invention may also be stored or reside on mass storage device217 (e.g., hard disk, magnetic disk, tape, or CD-ROM). As a furtherexample, code of the invention may be transmitted via wires, radiowaves, or through a network such as the Internet.

FIG. 3 shows a system block diagram of computer system 201 used toexecute the software of the present invention. As in FIG. 2, computersystem 201 includes monitor 203, keyboard 209, and mass storage devices217. Computer system 501 further includes subsystems such as centralprocessor 302, system memory 304, input/output (I/O) controller 306,display adapter 308, serial or universal serial bus (USB) port 312,network interface 318, and speaker 320. The invention may also be usedwith computer systems with additional or fewer subsystems. For example,a computer system could include more than one processor 302 (i.e., amultiprocessor system) or a system may include a cache memory.

Arrows such as 322 represent the system bus architecture of computersystem 201. However, these arrows are illustrative of anyinterconnection scheme serving to link the subsystems. For example,speaker 320 could be connected to the other subsystems through a port orhave an internal direct connection to central processor 302. Theprocessor may include multiple processors or a multicore processor,which may permit parallel processing of information. Computer system 201shown in FIG. 2 is but an example of a computer system suitable for usewith the present invention. Other configurations of subsystems suitablefor use with the present invention will be readily apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art.

Computer software products may be written in any of various suitableprogramming languages, such as C, C++, C#, Pascal, Fortran, Perl, Matlab(from MathWorks, www.mathworks.com), SAS, SPSS, JavaScript, AJAX, andJava. The computer software product may be an independent applicationwith data input and data display modules. Alternatively, the computersoftware products may be classes that may be instantiated as distributedobjects. The computer software products may also be component softwaresuch as Java Beans (from Sun Microsystems) or Enterprise Java Beans (EJBfrom Sun Microsystems).

An operating system for the system may be one of the Microsoft Windows®family of operating systems (e.g., Windows 95, 98, Me, Windows NT,Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP x64 Edition, Windows Vista, Windows7, Windows CE, Windows Mobile), Linux, HP-UX, UNIX, Sun OS, Solaris, MacOS X, Alpha OS, AIX, IRIX32, or IRIX64. Other operating systems may beused. Microsoft Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Furthermore, the computer may be connected to a network and mayinterface to other computers using this network. The network may be anintranet, internet, or the Internet, among others. The network may be awired network (e.g., using copper), telephone network, packet network,an optical network (e.g., using optical fiber), or a wireless network,or any combination of these. For example, data and other information maybe passed between the computer and components (or steps) of a system ofthe invention using a wireless network using a protocol such as Wi-Fi(IEEE standards 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g, 802.11i,802.11n, and 802.11ac, just to name a few examples), near fieldcommunication (NFC), radio-frequency identification (RFID), mobile orcellular wireless (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 3GPP LTE, WiMAX, LTE, Flash-OFDM,HIPERMAN, iBurst, EDGE Evolution, UMTS, UMTS-TDD, 1×RDD, and EV-DO). Forexample, signals from a computer may be transferred, at least in part,wirelessly to components or other computers.

In an embodiment, with a web browser executing on a computer workstationsystem, a user accesses a system on the World Wide Web (WWW) through anetwork such as the Internet. The web browser is used to download Webpages or other content in various formats including HTML, XML, text,PDF, and postscript, and may be used to upload information to otherparts of the system. The web browser may use uniform resourceidentifiers (URLs) to identify resources on the web and hypertexttransfer protocol (HTTP) in transferring files on the Web.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,012,602, issued Mar. 14, 2006, entitled “VirtualThree-Dimensional Display for Product Development” describes a softwareproduct that can be used by product development teams to accessdevelopment information is an easy to use user interface. Embodiments ofthe invention described in this application can include features such asdescribed in the '602 patent. The '602 patent is incorporated byreference along with all references cited in this application.

U.S. patent application 61/390,171, filed Oct. 5, 2010, is alsoincorporated by reference.

FIG. 4 shows a system diagram of an implementation of a designmanagement system with clients. A software framework 403 of designmanagement software connects to a device 406 and client 408. Theframework includes components: a user management service, authenticationservice, business rules, business object management, and imagemanagement service. These components are associated with a domain model.The components are connected via a communications adapter to device 406.Via the domain model, the components are connected to an integration busto connect to a cloud 411 and framework repository 414. Cloud 411 isconnected to a cloud repository 417.

The software framework can be implemented as server software or asdesktop software on a single machine. As server software, multipleclients can access the software via a network, including a local andwide area network (e.g., Internet).

Device 406 is a mobile electronic device such as a smartphone (e.g.,Apple iPhone smartphone, Apple iPad tablet, or other Apple iOS device,or Google Android device) or other mobile device. Mobile device 406 is acomputer. Device 406 typically has a small form factor that can moreeasily carried around by the user, such as carried from location tolocation to take pictures.

Client 408 is a computer. Compared to mobile device 406, computer 408 isworkstation which the user uses to interface with the softwareframework. For example, device 406 can be a desktop or laptop computer.The desktop computer can include components as discussed above and shownin FIGS. 2 and 3. Generally, client 408 has greater processing power,memory and storage size, screen size, memory, and input capability thanmobile device 406. The limitations of mobile device 406 prevent it frombeing able to execute or access the same version of the designmanagement software which is available to client 408.

The mobile device includes a mobile processor such as an ARM processoror other microprocessor such as from Intel, AMD, or MIPS. ARM is a32-bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction setarchitecture (ISA) developed by ARM Holdings. This processor is used toexecute mobile application software which is stored on the device.Typically the device has in addition to RAM or volatile memory, Flash orother nonvolatile memory storage for the storage of mobile applications.The mobile device has mobile connectivity to the Internet.

Some components of mobile device 406 include a user interface, devicestorage, communications adapter, and image storage. The device includesa camera 420 or video camera. Images or pictures of a subject (e.g.,product or item that is handled by the design software framework) can betaken with the camera can be uploaded wirelessly (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G,or LTE) to the framework via cloud 411 to cloud repository 417. Once inthe cloud repository, software framework 403 can access the images takenusing the mobile device. And clients (e.g., client 408) having access tothe software framework will be able to access the images.

Through the cloud (or communications adapter), the picture issynchronized with the software framework. In an implementation, thepicture is transferred to the image repository (e.g., at a server). Thepicture will be accessible to the user through client 408 (when the userreturns to the desk), and the mark-ups and comments made at the mobiledevice will be viewable.

The user interface of the mobile device can include touch sensors andother user input devices. Via the user interface, the user can access anapplication interface (e.g., iPhone or iPad app, or Android app) for thedesign management software. This interface can communicate with, forexample, a comment module, mark-up module, and navigation module. Forexample, before uploading to the cloud, the user can add comments to theimages or mark-up the images. These comments will be viewable by theusers who have access to the framework (such as via client 408).

Mobile device 406 has device storage (e.g., magnetic storage, opticalstorage, Flash storage, or other computer readable media) which includesapplication storage for configuration and data. Computer 406 has acommunications adapter which interfaces with the communication adapterof the software framework. Computer 406 has image storage to storeimages transferred from the camera. Computer 406 also has access tocloud 411 (e.g., network, Internet, and servers located through thenetwork) and cloud repository 417 (e.g., remote storage accessiblethrough the network).

The application interface on the mobile device may be via standalone,dedicated software executing on device, or the interface may be via aWeb browser interface. The Web browser accesses the design managementsoftware as a cloud-based or server-based application (e.g., Java orJavascript code).

Client 408 has a communication adapter, which allows connecting tosoftware framework 403. The client has a user interface for the designmanagement software. The user interface includes two modules, a mark-upmodule and comment module. The user can connect an external camera, suchas connected to the client via a port such as USB or FireWire.

FIG. 5 shows further details of a system of an implementation of adesign management system. The picture of the subject can be, forexample, a product prototype, product material, or competitive product.This image is attached to a business object of framework 531.

FIGS. 6-16 show screen shots of software applications. FIGS. 6-13 showscreens from an application for a mobile device 406 (e.g., iPhone,Android, or smartphone). FIGS. 14-16 show screens from an application onclient 408 (e.g., workstation, desktop, or laptop computer).

FIG. 6: The application allows a user to sign in using a user name andpassword that is related to a valid active account on the server. Aspart of the sign in process, the user needs to provide the address ofthe server that account and product information is managed on. Thisallows the user to use the same application to access information ondifferent servers.

FIG. 7: After the user signs in, the user can access information that ismanaged on the server. For example, the user can browse the productsthat the development team is creating. The user can view the productsdirectly, or browse the products in groups such as seasons orcollections. The development team defines and assigns products to thesegroups.

The ability to access information is restricted by the privileges thathave been granted to the user on the server. The user can only seeinformation that has been made available to the user or to the role theuser is in on the server.

The user can navigate the information. For example, the user cannavigate to a product by selecting the image of the product or the nameof the product. Also, the user can view relevant attributes about aproduct such as the name of the product, the code of the product, andthe product's description. These attributes are stored on the server aspart of the definition of the product.

FIG. 8: For a given product, the user can access a view that containsthe metadata information associated with the product, and the user canaccess files that are associated with the product like images. The usercan view a set of the images associated with the product by selectingthe navigation action associated with the view that displays the images.

FIG. 9: If a user would like to add an image from the device to theproduct, the user starts with selecting an action to add a photo. Forexample, this action can be represented with a camera icon. Selectionthis action will result in the user being prompted for the source of theimage. The user can decide to take a new photo using the camera on thedevice or to use an existing photo that is stored on the device. Anotheroption would be to allow the user to select a in a storage location thatis accessible by the device like a share folder on the network orstorage location in the cloud.

FIG. 10: If the user decides to take a new photo, the user will be ableto view the subject of the photo in the application, and then the usercan select an action to capture the photo. For example, the action tocapture a photo can be triggered by a button labeled Use. Clicking thebutton will capture the photo, and upload the photo to the server whereit will be attached to the product.

FIG. 11: After the image is uploaded to the server, the user will beable to view the image.

FIG. 12: The user can zoom into the image and pan the image in thedisplay using gestures.

FIG. 13: The user can also add comments to the photo to communicatechanges with others. Comments are stored on the server associated withthe photo.

FIG. 14: After the photo is uploaded to the server, the user can viewthe photo by opening the associated product and then opening a view tobrowse the images.

FIG. 15: The user can add annotations and comments to the photo from theserver. The user can create a new review session, add the photo to thereview, and then draw annotations on top of the photo to capture andshare feedback about the subject of the photo.

Annotation features include:

The annotation shapes that can be added include: (a) straight lines, (b)curved lines, (c) boxes, and (d) circles.

Annotation shapes can be adjusted by techniques including: (a) resizing,(b) selecting the fill color, (c) selecting the border color, (d) addingtext, (e) adding arrow heads to the end of line shapes, and (f) changingthe thickness and dash size for line shapes and borders.

The text associated to an annotation shape can be adjusted by techniquesincluding: (a) selecting the font point size, (b) selecting the fonttype, (c) selecting the font weight, and (d) selecting the alignment.

These annotation features will also be available on the mobile device.

FIG. 16: The photo and annotations added during a review session can beadded to a technical data sheet, which can be emailed or printed toshare with others.

FIGS. 17-23 shows unified modeling language (UML) diagrams for animplementation of a design management system with mobile clients. FIG.17 provides a product developer user with a mobile device application,executing on a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device having acamera. The product developer can take a picture of a product feature(e.g., aspect of a product that the developer is developing). With thepicture

FIG. 18 provides the mobile device has a camera and storage (e.g., Flashor other nonvolatile storage and RAM). After taking an image or picturewith the camera, the image can be stored in Flash memory. Using themobile application executing on the mobile device, the user (e.g.,product developer) can annotate the image with a comment or sketch. Thesketch can be a handwritten using a touch screen interface making handdrawn markings on the image. A comment can be text input (e.g., ASCIItext), such as input using an on-screen keyboard. Annotation is optionaldepending on whether the user wants to annotate of not.

FIG. 19 shows assigning of tasks of the mobile app. Typically the user(e.g., product developer) has taken a picture is taken for a particularproduct (e.g., a prototype) being reviewing. The user may be in thefield, such as at a factory in another country (e.g., China) away fromthe developer's desk (e.g., San Francisco). The user notices a problemin a product prototype that needs to be corrected, takes a picture(e.g., using a smartphone) to show the problem, and annotates it.

Without needing to return to a desktop, the user can use the mobile appto create and assign a task to another development team member. The taskcan be stored in storage of the mobile device and references the imageand annotations, so that the development member can address the problemto be corrected.

FIG. 20 shows the mobile app allowing the user to access a product'sspecifications. On a mobile device, the user can select a product andview the specifications for the product. These specifications are pulledfrom the cloud. Some examples of specifications include a size chartspecification (e.g., for clothing products), artwork specifications(e.g., for logos), and others. With the specifications, the user canview the product and compare to the written specifications to determinewhether some aspect of a product prototype does not meet specification.

FIG. 21 shows how the mobile app is linked to the design managementsystem. The design management system is stored on a server (which may bereferred to as the cloud), and the mobile app can link or product storedin the design management system via the cloud. Typically mobile app ison a smartphone that accesses the cloud wirelessly. Operations andinformation on the mobile device are synchronized with the cloud.

In an implementation, the mobile app has an off-line mode. When the useranticipates not having wireless connectivity, the user can specifyoff-line mode and specific aspects of a product to download and store onthe mobile device. Then the user can view specification, take pictures,make annotations, and assign tasks, just as thought the mobile devicewere connected. When the phone becomes connected to the cloud again, thephone will synchronize with design management system wirelessly. Thechanges the user made on the mobile app will be reflected in the designmanagement system. Users at the desktop will see the images,annotations, tasks, or other changes.

FIG. 22 shows a design management system. The system has storage (e.g.,hard disk). Products and images with or without annotations for aproduct are stored on the physical storage devices of the system. Theproduct has a specification which details attributes of the product.Annotations, such as comments or sketches, can reference thespecification. Project tasks are assigned to team member are also storedin storage. These tasks can reference annotations too.

FIG. 23 shows security roles of the design management system. There areuser accounts in the design management system. Some users includeproduct developers and development team members. Each user account canbe assigned a security role.

Some security roles or attributes include create, read, update, anddelete. Information of the design management system can be protectedusing such attributes. A system administrator or person in charge of aparticular product project can assign or edit security attributes foreach user for information of the system. These roles can include (1)create and delete privilege, (2) read only privilege, and (3) editprivilege.

For create and delete privilege, the user can create and deleteinformation on the system (e.g., create a task or delete a task). Forread only privilege, the user can only view information (e.g., view animage). For edit privilege, the user can make edits to information(e.g., make annotations to an image).

FIG. 24 shows a wire frame of a task assignment screen of the mobileapp. Using this screen, the user can select an image and add anannotation (using select image and add annotation buttons). The picturecan be a dress, and the annotation to change the pocket height from 6inches to 5.5 inches. This may have been a mistake in the productprototype versus the specification.

In the task assignment screen, the user can select (with the selectbutton) another user to assign the task. There is a text box for thetask description. The user can select (with the select date button) adue date and also change status using a change status button.

FIG. 25 shows a wire frame of a size specification review screen for themobile app. The specification shows a picture of the product and a tablebelow the picture. The table has a columns for measurement point,specification, actual, and percentage different between specificationand actual. There is a camera button, so that the user can take apicture as desired. For example

FIG. 26 shows a desktop size chart review screen. Using this screen, theuser can review size specifications for different dimensions of aclothing product. There are columns for dimension, description, plustolerance, minus tolerance, and target values for each of the sizes.Some examples of sizes include extra small (XS), small (S), medium (M),large (L), and extra large (XL).

Some specific flows for operating an design management system arepresented below, but it should be understood that the invention is notlimited to the specific flows and steps presented. A flow of theinvention may have additional steps (not necessarily described in thisapplication), different steps which replace some of the steps presented,fewer steps or a subset of the steps presented, or steps in a differentorder than presented, or any combination of these. Further, the steps inother implementations of the invention may not be exactly the same asthe steps presented and may be modified or altered as appropriate for aparticular application or based on the data. Steps of a flow include:

(1) Providing a design management system, where the design managementsystem is accessible via the Internet or other network. The designmanagement system can be implemented uses one or more servers accessiblevia the cloud.

(2) Providing a mobile application for a smartphone (or other mobiledevice) having a camera and wireless connectivity to the Internet orother network. A user of the mobile application can remotely access thedesign management framework system via the network.

(3) Using the mobile application executing on the smartphone, allowing afirst user of the design management system to take picture. The mobileapplication can turn on the camera of the mobile device. A picture canbe data and the image saved in storage of the smartphone. The image canbe in an image format such as JPEG, EXIF, TIFF, RAW, PNG, GIF, BMP, orother.

(4) Allowing a first user to make an annotation to the picture. Themobile application has tools for the user to annotate the picture withtext or graphically (e.g., freehand drawing). For example the user canput straight lines, curved lines, boxes, and circles on the picture. Theuser can resize the picture, crop the picture, select the fill color,select the border color, add text, add arrow heads to the end of lineshapes, and change the thickness and dash size for line shapes andborders.

(5) Synchronizing the mobile application with the design managementsystem. This can include uploading the picture with annotation to thedesign management system. The uploading the picture with annotation tothe design management system can be a synchronization that occurswithout being request by the first user. The mobile application canperiodically synchronize with the design management system server.

Once data is synchronized and uploaded, users accessing the designmanagement system via a desktop interface (e.g., through a desktop webbrowser) can view the data that was edited or created at the mobileapplication (mobile interface).

(6) Using the mobile application, allowing the first user to create taskand assign to a second user of the design management system. The taskcan include a link to the picture with annotation, and text with a taskdescription.

(7) Using the mobile application, downloading from the design managementsystem a product specification.

As an example, the product specification can include a sizespecification screen including: (a) a first column having rows ofmeasuring points; (b) a second column having rows of specificationmeasurements associated with the measuring points; (c) a third columnhaving rows of input boxes, for user input, for actual measurementsassociated with the measurement points. Each row includes a camerabutton which turns on a camera of the smartphone. This allows the usereasy access to the camera. A fourth column having rows showingcalculates of differences between specifications and actualmeasurements.

(8) Checking a security role of the first user at the design managementsystem. In an implementation, allow the first user to take a pictureonly when a security role of the first user includes a create accessattribute. In an implementation, allow the first user to make anannotation to a picture only when a security role of the first userincludes an update access attribute. In an implementation, disallow thefirst user to make an annotation to a picture when a security role ofthe first user includes a read only access attribute.

In another flow, steps include:

(1) Allowing a mobile application, executing on at least one processorof a mobile device having a camera, access a server of a designmanagement system via a wireless network. The design management systemincludes product specification, tasks, review for at least a firstproduct.

(2) Using the mobile application, allowing a first user to create a taskand assigning to a second user.

(3) Using the mobile application, selecting a picture to associate withthe task.

(4) Automatically synchronizing the mobile application with the designmanagement system. The synchronizing can include uploading the task tothe design management system.

(5) Using the mobile application, allowing accessing of the camera ofthe mobile device to take the picture. The picture is saved and storedon the mobile device.

(6) Allowing attaching of a text annotation or graphical annotation tothe picture. The text annotation can include one or more of: selectingthe font point size, selecting the font type, selecting the font weight,and selecting an alignment for the text. The graphical annotation caninclude one or more of straight lines, curved lines, boxes, and circles.The graphical annotation can include one or more of resizing, selectingthe fill color, selecting the border color, adding text, adding arrowheads to the end of line shapes, and changing the thickness and dashsize for line shapes and borders.

This description of the invention has been presented for the purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise form described, and manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the teachingabove. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical applications.This description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilizeand practice the invention in various embodiments and with variousmodifications as are suited to a particular use. The scope of theinvention is defined by the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: allowing a mobileapplication, executing on at least one processor of a mobile devicecomprising a camera and a touch screen, access to a server of a designmanagement system via a wireless network, wherein the design managementsystem comprises a product specification for at least a first product;via the wireless network, downloading from the design management systemto the mobile application the product specification for at least thefirst product; using the mobile application, while wireless networkaccess is unavailable, allowing a first user to create a task for thefirst product comprising at least one input from the first user on thetouch screen of the mobile device; using the mobile application, whilewireless network access is unavailable, selecting a picture to associatewith the task; using the mobile application, while wireless networkaccess is unavailable, allowing the user to make a freehand graphicalsketch associated with the picture associated with the task, wherein thefreehand graphical sketch is input into the mobile application via atouch screen interface of the mobile device, and the freehand graphicalsketch comprises at least one of adding curved lines or arrow heads tothe end of line shapes on the picture, and the freehand graphical sketchindicates a location on the first product captured in the first picturefor a change to be made to the first product before manufacture; whilewireless network access is unavailable, using a mobile applicationstoring the task with freehand graphical sketch at the mobile device;and upon wireless network access becoming available, automaticallysynchronizing the mobile application with the design management systemcomprising uploading the task with freehand graphical sketch, comprisingthe added curved lines or arrow heads to the end of line shapes on thepicture, to the design management system.
 2. The method of claim 1comprising: using the mobile application, allowing accessing of thecamera of the mobile device to take the picture; and saving the pictureand storing on the mobile device.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein thepicture associated with the task was taken using the camera of themobile device.
 4. The method of claim 1 comprising: using the mobileapplication, while wireless network access is unavailable, allowing thefirst user to assign the created task to at least one other user.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the location on the first product indicatesthat a size of a feature at the location is to be changed.
 6. The methodof claim 1 wherein the location on the first product indicates a changedlocation for a feature at the location.
 7. The method of claim 1comprising: using the mobile application, while wireless network accessis unavailable, allowing the first user to create a second task for thesecond product; using the mobile application, while wireless networkaccess is unavailable, selecting a second picture to associate with thesecond task; using the mobile application, while wireless network accessis unavailable, allowing the first user to make a freehand graphicalsketch associated with the second picture indicating a location on thesecond product captured in the second picture; and while wirelessnetwork access is unavailable, using a mobile application storing thesecond task.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location identifies apocket for the first product.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein thelocation identifies a sleeve for the first product.
 10. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the task comprises a written description of the changeto be made to the first product.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein themobile application executes on a smartphone.
 12. The method of claim 1wherein the design management system is accessible on a browser.
 13. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the first picture is captured by the camerafor the mobile device that is executing the mobile application.
 14. Themethod of claim 13 wherein the first picture that is captured by thecamera allows a photographer to retake or accept a preview image beforeallowing the user to make the freehand graphical sketch.
 15. The methodof claim 1 wherein the first picture is selected from an image galleryof the mobile device that is executing the mobile application.
 16. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the first user comprises a product developerand the first user assigns the task to a development team member. 17.The method of claim 1 wherein the task comprises a status that indicateswhether the task has been completed.
 18. The method of claim 1 using themobile application, presenting a fit review session for the product,wherein the fit review session comprises identification of a feature ofthe product, a specification for the feature, and an actual measurementof the specification for the feature.
 19. The method of claim 18 whereinthe fit review session further comprises a percentage difference betweenthe specification for the feature, and the actual measurement of thespecification for the feature.
 20. The method of claim 4 comprisingcausing the design management system to transmit a notification to oneor more devices of the at least one other user that the task exists.